Sighting in Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche, July 1, 2017

At about 10:14 p.m., under a clear sky, several witnesses noticed an object leaving an orange trail behind it. One of them filmed the sighting. The witness was then surprised to see other objects also leaving orange trails, each following a different path. No sound was heard during the observation. The witness thought of space debris re-entering the atmosphere. Only one account was collected.

According to the investigation, the video clearly shows an aircraft trail. What had struck the witness most, the short orange trail, is explained: it appears orange because the setting sun still lights it at the aircraft's altitude, and its length and persistence depend on many factors, to the point that a trail may not form at all. The speed, which the witness judged to be five times that of an airliner, was a lesser surprise. A witness can only perceive angular speed, which varies a great deal: it looks faster overhead than near the horizon, and faster at low altitude than at high altitude. The video does not give an impression of exceptional speed in any case. It was also verified that many airliners were flying through that sky at that hour. Since the appearance was clearly that of an aircraft, the GEIPAN carried out no further investigation and classified the case as A: aircraft.